Filing-cabinet support stand



Dec. 28 (1926. 1,612,563

J. BELLIS FILING CABINET SUPPORT STAND Filed Oct. 16, 1925 I I u v Jam 7256,! liz Patented Dec. 28, 1925.

UNETED STATES JOSEPH BELLIS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FILING-CABINET SUPPORT STAND.

Application filed October 16, 1925. Serial No. 62,790.

This invention relates to a support stand for filing cases.

In banks and business institutions using filing cabinets for the filing of accounts and a similar memoranda, it is desirable to have the filing cabinets supported in a manner which makes for easy manipulation of the contents thereof and facilitates manipulation of the cabinets themselves, at the same time being arranged so as to occupy a minimum of space.

I have for an object of my present inven* tion the supporting of a pair of filing trays on a rotatable frame, the trays being relaiii tively superposed and the frame being actuatable to reverse the relative position of the trays carried thereby.

In order to attain this object, there is provided, in accordance with one feature of 12'; the invention, a supporting frame having a rod pivotally connected to the upper portion of said frame, and a support arm fixedly connected adjacent each end of said rod. A filing cabinet is pivotally connected to the outer end of each of said arms, and a looking lever pivotally connected to the frame is provided with means for locking the cabinets in relatively superposed relation, the cabinets being movable about the central so supporting axis thereof to reverse their positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in isometric perspective of a stand made in accordance with the present invention, having a pair of filing cabinets supported thereon, a cover for the cabinot being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view in end elevation of one of the cabinets.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure A is a view in longitudinal section of a locking lever.

Figure 5 is a view in front and side elevation, respectively, of one of a pair of cabinet members 1 and 2 connected to each other by means of longitudinally extending rods 3. A rod i is mounted longitudinally of the frame intermediate the upper portions of the end frame members 1 and 2 to pivot freely therein. integrally connected to the rod 1 adjacent each end thereof, and at right angles therewith, are filing cabinet support arms 55. The support arms are each provided with a circular opening 6 adjacent each end thereof (see Figure 5), and a second circular opening 7 spaced inwardl from each of the openings 6. On each side of the inner openings 6 is a cut-away portion 8 which slopes angularly outward to form a cam surface for raising a locking lug, to be hereinafter described, to a position where it may drop into the opening 7 to lock the support member 5 against rotation about the rod 4.

A pair of filing cabinets 9 and 10 are each provided with a pivotal support member 11 on either end thereof, the pivotal support members on the ends adjacent the locking lever having squared outer ends 12 projecting therefrom. The pivotal support mem bers are connected centrally of the width of each end of the cabinets, and above the centers of gravity of the cabinets. Each of the pivotal support members is provided with a base port-ion 18 which positions the pivotal support member outwardly from the body of the cabinet a sufficient distance to permit flanges 14; on the cabinets to clear the support arms 5-5 when the cabinet is supported thereon. The pivotal support members are of a size to be easily inserted in the openings 6' in the support arms 5-5.

A locking lever B is pivotally connected at its lower end to a lower cross member of one of the end frame members and has pivotally connected thereto a leaf spring 15, the upper end of which is positioned interiorly of an intermediate transverse frame member 16 to draw the locking lever B inwardly toward the support frame. The locking lever is provided with a locking member 17 which comprises a lug 18 slidably mounted in a sleeve 19, and a coil spring 20 mounted interiorly of the sleeve to exert outward pressure on the lug. This lug registers with a domed receptacle 21, mounted on an end of each cabinet, when the cabinet is in its lowermost position. A second locking lug 22 is connected to the locking lever B at a height which will bring it into registry with one of the openings 7 in the support arm 5 when the support arm is in a vertical position.

The upper end of the locking lever is provided with a rectangular opening 25 of a size to readily receive the squared outer end 12 of the pivotal support member. A knob 26 is provided on the locking lever to facilitate withdrawal of the locking members carried by the locking lever to free the cabinet support frame for rotation. A handle 27 is provided on each of the cabinets to facilitate their manipulation.

A combined guide and stop member is provided to guide the locking lever and limit its outward movement, and comprises a headed member 23 which may be threadedly connected to the locking lever after said headed member is inserted through an opening 24 in the upper portion of end frame member 1. The shank of this combined guide and stop member is of suiiicient length to permit a sufficient outward movement of the locking lever to withdraw the locking lugs 18 and 22 from engagement with the apertures therefor in the cabinet support frame and in the domed receptacle in the lowermost filing cabinet, respectively, and to withdraw the upper portion of the locking lever from locking engagement with the squared end of the pivotal support member.

In operation, the cabinets are provided with suitable filing indicia and are mounted on the support stand by. inserting one of the pivotal support members 11 in an aperture 6 provided therefor in the support arms ,55., drawing the other cabinet support arm outwardly over the pivotal support member on the other endof the cabinet, and then releasing the support arm to permit the opening 6 to spring into position over the pivotal support member 11. The other cabinet is mounted in the frame in a similar manner and the device is ready for use.

Upon rotating the cabinet support frame by means of the handles 27 on the cabinets, the support arms 5 are brought to a vertical position, the locking pin 22 rides up onto a cam surface 8 at, the side of one of the openings 7 and thereby moves the entire locking lever B outward, bringing the .upper end thereof outwardly a suliicient distance to clear the squared end of the rectangular portion 12 of the pivotal support member carried by the uppermost cabinet. The lug 18 carnied by the sleeve 19 is not necessarily moved outwardly a sufficient distance at this time to clear the domed receptacle 21 since the :lug 18 is freely slidable longitudinally of the sleeve 19, and acted upon by the domed surface of the receptacle 21 to raise it sufliciently to enter the central aperture thereof. v

Upon registering with the opening 7 in the support arm 5 the locking lug 22 drops with the opening in the domed receptacle 21, 7

thereby locking the lower cabinet against rotation. The cabinet support frame is locked against rotation by means of the locking lug22.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A filing cabinet support stand having a frame, cabinet support means pivot-ally connected to said frame, a pair of cabinets pivotally connected to said cabinet support means, and locking means operably mounted on the frame to engage the cabinet support means and the cabinets to lock said cabinet support means against rotation in the frame and to lock said cabinets against rotation in said cabinet support means.

2. A filing cabinet support stand having frame, cabinet support means pivotally connected to said frame, a pair of cabinets pivotally mounted in said cabinet support means to have their centers of gravity below their lines of pivotal support, releasable locking means operably connected to the frame to engage the cabinet support means at a predetermined point in the rotation of said means about its pivotal support to arrest the rotation of said support means and to simultaneously engage a portion of each of said cabinets to lock said cabinets against rotation in said cabinet support means.

3. A filing cabinet support stand having a frame, cabinet support means pivotally mounted in said frame and having a locking recess therein, cam means adjacent said locking recess, a pair of cabinets pivotally mounted in said cabinet support means to have the centers of gravity of said cabinets belowtheir lines of pivotal support, each of said cabinets being provided with a looking recess therein and having a locking lug projecting beyond one point of pivotal support thereof, releasable locking means operatively mounted on the frame and having a portion thereof positioned to engage the cam means adjacent the locking recess in the cabinet support means to move the locking means into locking engagement with the aperture in said cabinet support means, said locking means having an aperture therein to engage the locking lug beyond the pivotal support of one of said cabinets to lock said cabinet against rotation, and having other means to enter the aperture in the other of said cabinets to lock the other of said cabinets againstrotation.

4. A filing cabinet support stand having a frame, an axial member pivotally conon, a locking lever having a portion thereof 10 positioned to engage the opening in the support arm to lock said arm against rotation, and being provided With an aperture therein to engage the projection carried by the pivotal support member to lock it against 15 rotation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH BELLIS. 

